Schoolboys allegedly used a social media group chat to make fun of a 14-year-old girl who is believed to have taken her own life, an inquest into her death has heard.
Mia Janin – a year 10 pupil at Jewish Free School (JFS) in northwest London – was found dead at her family home in Harrow on 12 March 2021, one day after asking her parents about moving school.
Mariano Jenin, her father, said he believes his daughter was cyber-bullied by other pupils at the school.
In statements given to the Metropolitan Police, one child said Mia had asked if people would “care about you the next day” if you died, the day before she was found dead.
They also said one of Mia’s posts on TikTok was shared to a Snapchat group run by male pupils at JFS, where they made fun of her.
“They took screenshots of girls’ faces on social media and made fun of them. They shared a video of Mia’s TikTok and made fun of her,” one child said.
“They used girls’ faces on porn stars’ bodies to upset us.”
Another child said Mia had received negative comments on the TikTok video from other pupils.
“Mia said she was fine, but I don’t think that she was fine,” she added.
Referring to Mia asking if people “would care” after “you die”, one child said they “laughed it off” as “it was just in normal conversation”.
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One child said the TikTok video had been posted by Mia the night before she returned to school after the end of COVID restrictions.
Mr Janin told the inquest Mia asked if she could move school after coming home on 11 March 2021 and that his wife, Marisa, who has since died, said she could be home-schooled.
They would then look into moving her to another school once the academic year was over.
Mia went to bed and died hours later.
There was no evidence that any images or videos involving Mia had been shared in the group chat, except for the TikTok, area coroner Tony Murphy said.
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The inquest also heard Rabbi Cohen, former deputy headteacher at JFS, told the boys to close down the group after Mia’s death.
JFS’s position is that the school was not aware of the existence of the group chat before Mia’s death.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, letters can be mailed to: Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS.
